- Home >>
- School of Education >>
- Graduate Programs >>
- Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education
- School of Education
- Franz Hall 427, MSC 149
- 5000 N Willamette Blvd.
- Portland OR 97203
- 503-943-7135 or 800-546-3633
- soed@up.edu
School of Education: Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education
Mission Statement
The purpose of PACE is to serve the needs of under-resourced Catholic schools in the Pacific Northwest by providing dedicated teachers who are committed to service, to developing professionally, and to living a simple life in a supportive community which nourishes their spirituality.
One of the ways PACErs are invited to build community is through spiritual growth. Many PACErs attend weekly Mass together and participate actively in the liturgical life of their school. As part of their PACE experience, PACE teachers are also encouraged to participate in a cycle of four retreats. These retreats provide PACErs an opportunity to refresh their spirits as they reflect on their lives and their teaching experiences in light of their faith journey. Freed of the stress of teaching and studying, they are given the chance to spend time relaxing, celebrating, praying and exploring together the deeper meanings of the PACE experience. About PACE
The Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education infuses Catholic schools with enthusiastic teachers equipped with research-based teaching methods. PACE is a graduate service teaching program at the University of Portland that serves PACE teachers as well as the school communities and diocese in which they teach.The program is a two-year commitment. PACE teachers earn graduate degrees in education, while serving as teachers in Catholic schools. The PACE program seeks to strenghten Catholic Schools in the Pacific Northwest through three pillars:
Professional Service
PACE teachers are welcomed into schools by principals, who say, “They bring something into the building that no one else does” –a reference to the up-to-date teaching methods, commitment to make a difference in children’s lives, and faith-based idealism that characterizes the PACErs. PACE teachers spend two full years teaching in diverse, under-resourced Catholic elementary and secondary schools. During this time they put their current coursework into practice, with the ongoing support they receive from their in-school Mentor Teacher. In addition, they have regularly scheduled meetings each year with the PACE Instructional Advisor and a University Supervisor. These interactions support PACErs while teaching and gaining state certification as licensed teachers.
Components of Professional Service
--Regularly scheduled formal observations by a University Supervisor, Mentor Teacher and the PACE Instructional Coach
--Two years mentoring by an on-site teacher
--Ongoing supervision and support from the school principal
--Subsidized housing on site
--Health coverage and other benefits afforded lay teachers
--A “simple living” salary (approx. $1,100/mo.)
Academic Learning Applicants must concurrently apply to and be accepted by the University of Portland’s Graduate School before being accepted into the PACE program. Once acceptance to both is confirmed, PACE teachers spend three summers on the University of Portland campus earning a graduate degree in Education—an M.A.T. for applicants who have not majored in Education, or an M.Ed. for applicants who have majored in Education and are licensed to teach. During the two intervening academic years, PACE teachers take one or more courses, in addition to teaching full-time, to fulfill degree requirements. Through this intensive fusion of the study of teaching with the practice of teaching, PACE teachers develop and refine the skills it takes to be successful teachers. All PACE teachers work with an Academic Advisor to ensure timely completion of their degree program.
Components of Academic Learning
-- Tuition scholarship for a graduate degree in Education
-- Academic program customized to meet the requirements for teacher licensure
-- Eligibility for teacher certification
-- Opportunity for multiple endorsements
-- Free room and board on campus for the academic summer sessions
-- Opportunity to take courses in specialty areas with the opportunity for license endorsements
-- Opportunity to take distance-learning courses while on-site during the school year
Community Living
PACE teachers live with one another in household communities in groups of four to six members. PACE communities live simply, experiencing the joys and challenges of teaching and working to build shared expectations within the group. They share group expenses and house responsibilities. To affirm and support community life, the PACE coordinator visits each community a minimum of two times during the school year and offers community-building opportunities during the summer on-campus sessions.
Components of Community Living
-- Living in community with other PACE teachers for mutual support
-- Four communal dinners weekly prepared and shared by community members
-- Planned recreation activities with community members
-- A weekly community meeting to celebrate, problem-solve, listen and share with one another
-- Living simply, sharing expenses, household responsibilities, and meals
-- Meeting individually and as a community at least once during each semester with the PACE Coordinator for support, problem-solving, and reflection on the community experience
PACErs are given the opportunity to experience growth in Community by being actively involved in their own Spirituality. Opportunities include:
-- Weekly evenings of community prayer and dinner provide opportunities to share spiritual practices with one another and to share life experiences in the context of prayer
-- Attendance at weekly Sunday Mass as a community
-- University of Portland Wednesday Masses during summer sessions sponsored by Campus Ministry provide the benefits of small group Eucharist celebration
-- Cycle of four retreats allows PACE teachers to experience spiritual refreshment and reflect on their lives and their teaching in light of their faith journey
-- Day of Reflection prior to graduation brings closure to the PACE spiritual journey
- soed@up.edu
- 503-943-7135 or 800-546-3633
- Directions & Maps
- 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203-5798
- © 2009 University of Portland, All Rights Reserved